Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call on this parliament, and through it the government, to encourage the new Egyptian administration to foster religious and social tolerance within its borders. Recently, sectarian violence has flared up in Egypt. There have been reports of attacks on Coptic Christians, with churches blown up and burned and followers killed and injured. According to media reports, at least 12 Christians have been murdered and hundreds more wounded. This violence must end.

It would indeed be a cruel irony, if not a massive betrayal, if Egypt's new administration were to be more repressive than the former Mubarak government. Copts are culturally and historically part of Egypt. The rights and freedoms of religious minorities must be defended. To Australians who practise religious tolerance towards other faiths, religious and racial discrimination is particularly galling. We would not tolerate ill-treatment of any minority group in this country and we expect others to do likewise; hence, my call to the government to object in the strongest possible terms to the new interim Egyptian authorities.